Borough President James Molinaro discusses books with students during last year'ÂÂs "Readers Are Leaders" campaign.Staten Island Advance

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Borough President James Molinaro has kicked off another year of "Readers Are Leaders."

The program challenges fourth-grade classes in Staten Island public, parochial and private schools to read a minimum of six books at or above grade level in five weeks, between March 22 and April 26. The students must submit reports on their favorite books.

Every school submits the name of its "Champion Reader," and the top winners from each school get to attend an awards ceremony in June at the Michael J. Petrides Educational Complex, Sunnyside.

Molinaro made his announcement last week at PS 52 in Dongan Hills, marking the fifth year he has been the person supporting the initiative. It was previously run by Vito Fossella, the former city councilman and congressman, who founded it in 1996.

Since then, fourth-graders have read more than 500,000 books as part of the challenge, according to the borough president's office.

Molinaro was joined by members of CTV, which will sponsor the awards ceremony, and representatives of Barnes & Noble Booksellers, which donated more than 4,000 books to Staten Island school libraries as part of its holiday book drive. During the drive, booksellers ask those purchasing a book if they'd like to buy a second one for the Readers are Leaders Challenge.

More than 60 borough schools have signed up to participate. They include: